Fresh from the arrival of two new Chinese brands, vehicle importer Ateco says it still plans to have an electric car on sale here next year. China is gearing up to produce the most affordable electric car to go on sale in Australia - and it could be in dealerships as early as next year.

The governing director of Ateco Automotive, Australia's largest independent vehicle importer, says he plans to have an electric car on sale by 2011. "We want to have an electric car in 2011," said Ateco's Neville Crichton. "We're very confident we will. We see there's a niche in the market."

Already Ateco is selling Great Wall vehicles in Australia and is just months away from beginning distribution of Chery cars, the fourth biggest automotive brand on sale in China.

Crichton won't say whether the electric car will come from one of the company's existing Chinese brands or whether he will begin importing a third brand from the country that is now buying more cars than any other.

"I'm not commenting," he said, when quizzed on what brand would supply the electric car. "There are several suppliers of electric cars."

He said it "maybe" could come from Chery or Great Wall, although the former seems the most likely.

Fast growing brand Chery - which only produced its first car in 1999 - is already well advanced in the development of an electric car and plans to have a hybrid on sale overseas by the end of this year.